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***
Part 3
Preet kissed her cheek.
Meher looked up at him surprised, while Preet proceeded to grin from ear to ear.
"Disgusting!" Ash scowled, and stomped out of the kitchen. Meher's eyes followed her out while Preet's gaze remained transfixed on her.
"Preet you shouldn't have done that, especially...especially in front of Ash," Meher said.
Preet stopped smiling.
"Kyun?" He asked with a grave tone.
"Because, Ash still loves you Preet! And you -"
And you love her too. Stop always sacrificing your happiness for me. Meher wanted to say, but couldn't seem to get the words out of her mouth.
"And I what, Meher!?" Preet demanded.
Meher looked up at Preet, shocked with his harsh tone. And sure enough, he looked infuriated with her.
"Meher, tumhe pata tumhari problem kya hai? You think that everyone in this world is as innocent and pure-hearted like you are."
"Do you truly think that anything Ash feels for me is even close to true love? Or that I still -" Preet closed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
When Preet opened his eyes, they were no longer angry as he told her in a soft voice,
"Meher, aisa koi din nahi, aisa koi waqt nahi, jab mai bhagwan ka shukriya nahi karta ke unhone meri zindagi mai tumhe bheja. Meher tum mere liye -" Preet continued to say but had to stop abruptly as Kulraaj bustled into the kitchen.
"Meher, did you finish-" Kulraj started to say but froze as she saw the scene in front of her.
She smiled then turned to leave, "Sorry, sorry! Carry on, carry on."
"Kul Di!" Meher called out. "Why are you leaving?" She asked, and gave Preet the look.
"Uhh, yeah. Meher's right Kul Di. I just - came for a glass of water. You can continue whatever you were going to say to Meher," Preet finally pitched in.
"If you say so, my brother... by the way, at least let go of her hand," Kulraj said mischieviously.
Meher and Preet both looked down and were surprised to see that they were both holding hands, making them feel even more embarassed.
"Oh! Yeah..." Preet let go of Meher, reluctantly.
"And the two of you need to start getting ready...remember, today's the success party for our new hotel chain? Now shoo, both of you!"
***
Meher, aisa koi din nahi, aisa koi waqt nahi, jab mai bhagwan ka shukriya nahi karta ke unhone meri zindagi mai tumhe bheja.
As Meher ruffled through her closet trying to figure out what to wear, Preet's words rung in her mind, causing her to smile shyly to herself. She thought about their conversation in the kitchen and all of a sudden she felt really stupid for jumping to conclusions about Preet and Ash's relationship.
But she quickly suppressed a flicker of hope in her heart by reminding herself that just because Preet may no longer love Ash and was happy in his marriage with her; it did not mean that he loved her, either.
Just then she heard someone clear their throat and turned to see Preet, dressed in a black sherwani.
Oh, how handsome he was looking in that colour. Meher thought in her head, but quickly tore her eyes away, knowing that Preet would probably tease her for the rest of the night if he caught her staring at him like that.
"Meher, you're still not ready!?...Jeez, you all women are the same," Preet shook his head.
"Stop it, Preet. If you can't help me, then at least don't annoy me. I have nothing to wear!" Meher whined.
"Hmm..woh toh dikh raha hai," Preet said sarcastically as he stared at the closet full of clothes. Relief, simultaneously, washed over him, when he saw that Meher was starting to talk like her normal self again. He could almost feel her eyes smiling at him.
Which was weird, because all his life he thought you could only smile with your mouth. But Meher's eyes - even while the rest of her face remained blank - they always smiled at him.
"In that case, do not fear, when Preet is here!" And he absent-mindedly reached in the closet and stuffed something black in Meher's hands.
"Meher, yeh lo. Problem solved."
When Meher looked unconvinced he made a hand motion, pointing to his clothes than her clothes.
"Don't you get it Meher. Matching, matching," Preet grinned from ear to ear.
Meher looked at the dress he had picked out.
"Lekin, Preet, yeh toh sari hai," Meher whined.
"Haan, hai toh?"
"Preet, it's so uncomfortable. Plus, I've never worn a sari in my entire life. I don't even know HOW to wear it," Meher continued complaining.
"Mai tumhari madat kar doonga. Remember, don't fear when Preet is -" Preet started to say, but stopped in mid-sentence as Meher looked at him sheepishly.
"Bol toh aise rahe ho, jaise khud roz sari pehente ho."
"Uhh, fine. I'll send Kul Di to help you, but just promise you'll wear it?"
Meher could not understand why Preet was so adamant on her wearing it, but finally agreed when he wouldn't stop insisting.
***
When Meher, finally climbed down the stairs, the party was in full swing. She muttered angrily at Preet under her breath, as she tried not to trip over the hem of her own sari. She thought about the bahus in the daily soaps she watched, laden with heavy saris and jewellery like she was right now, and thanked God the Juneja's didn't make their daughter-in-laws dress up like that every day.
Meher thanked them as Heer and Kulraj both commented on how beautiful she was looking, and then her eyes proceeded to look for Preet, who was nowhere to be seen.
She smiled and started walking towards him as she finally spotted Preet. But the smile soon wiped away as she saw him talking to a very pretty girl, wearing a dress that barely touched her knees. It wasn't like Meher had any problem or judged harshly because of the girls' clothes, but she just didn't like the way she was smiling and laughing away with her husband. Her eyes narrowed down at the girl.
Just then, Preet's eyes also fell on Meher and he grinned, "Meher!"
"I'll talk to you later. It was nice seeing you after so long, Tanya," Preet excused himself, but not before him and the girl exchanged hugs.
His eyes went back on Meher and he sucked in a breath. She was looking drop-dead gorgeous in that saree and he mentally gave himself a pat on the back for forcing her to wear it.
Meher, however, was giving Preet no attention at all, as she continued to stare at the retreating figure of the girl. Preet noticed, where Meher was looking at and had a hard time suppressing his grin. She had that unmistakable "that chudail" expression on her face as she stared at his old friend Tanya leaving, with beady eyes.
Hmm...a jealous Meher. You don't get to see that every day, Preet thought in his head. Something along the lyrics of the old song "Ek haseena jab rooth jaati hai" started playing in his mind.
Preet finally cleared his throat.
"Umm, Meher?" He said nervously.
"What!?" She snapped at him.
"Relax, Meher. Why are you getting so mad? I was just going to tell you that this sari is looking very amazing on you, in fact you look..you look beautiful!" Preet said truthfully, hoping that she would calm down a little and at least smile at him.
Yeh acha hai Preet. Pehle doosri larkiyon ke saath flirt karo aur phir biwi ki jhoothi moothi tareef karo, usse manane ke liye.
Meher thought in her head, but she finally looked up and smiled at him, but a smile that was a tad too sugary for Preet's comfort.
"Oh really? Well, I wish I could say the same about you," Meher retorted.
Preet stared at her in mock surprise as the words sunk in.
"No one questions the good looks of Preet Sexy Juneja-"
"I just did."
"Yeah but you were just lying. I'm sexy and you know it," Preet whispered and leaned his face closer to Meher, hoping that she would melt into a puddle of goo.
"Preet, get out of my personal space," Meher said while using her hand to push away his face.
Preet sighed.
"Okay, I give up. Just tell me, what will I have to do to get one smile from you Meher Juneja? Do you want me to dance for you? Or sing a song for you, like a filmy romantic hero?"
"You don't have to do anything Preet. I was just joking with you," Meher said, her lips forming a small smile.
But her eyes weren't smiling! Preet thought disappointedly.
Time to switch on your inner Yash Chopra, Preet thought with a grin.
Meher turned to leave, but before she could go, Preet grabbed her hand and pulled her towards himself. A surprised Meher stared at him wide-eyed as she found herself bump against him, his face only a couple inches away from hers.
"Preet-" Meher started to say.
"Ssshh," Preet said, putting a finger on her lip.
"Meher..."
She took a deep breath. The name always sounded so beautiful when he said it, she thought, as she continued to stare into his soft brown eyes.
"Main akhein band karta hoon toh tumhe dekhta hoon... Main ankhein kholta hoon toh tumhe dekhna chahata hoon," Preet said in a voice low enough for only them to hear. Meher let the words wash over her, feeling like her heart had become a humming-bird.
Expect there was something way too familiar about those words.
He continued, "Mere naina, meri Meher ko dhoondte rehte hai."
Preet was counting down the seconds it would take for Meher to just melt in his arms, but was shocked when instead of hugging him, she burst out into laughter.
"Preet, Kal Ho Na Ho, maine bhi bohat baar dekhi hai," Meher laughed, and wriggled free from his hold, much to Preet's disappointment.
"Yeah, well you should have told me earlier. I would have used some other movie," Preet sulked.
"Laikin, tum yeh sab kar kyun rahe ho?" Meher asked.
Because I've secretly fallen in love with you Mrs. Meher Preet Juneja. And you are so damn endearingly beautiful that when I look at you, I can only remember romantic hindi dialogues and sigh about how they've become my life. Preet thought in his mind.
"To prove it to you that Preet Juneja has irresistible charm," Preet winked at Meher while she just shook her head at him, with annoyance. While her eyes smiled at him.
***
It feels like a perfect place to end but it feels so incomplete that Meher is still unaware of Preet's feelings. But at the moment my mind's blank but if I do get an idea, I might just write on more part. If you guys are still interested. :)
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